The deathbed of old Pazukhin, once a peasant, now a millionaire, is surrounded by relatives and hangers-on anxious to secure the inheritance. His son Prokofy, who angered his father by retaining the habits and religion of the merchant class, fears that, if a will is made, his rights will be violated. He tries scheming with his brother-in-law, the hypocritical Councillor Furnachyov, and the impoverished General Lobastov, who wants to marry his spinster daughter to Porfiry's son, but they disclaim him. He even shaves off his beard, but old Pazukhin is unimpressed and dies after an angry scene among the family. Furnachyov is surprised in the act of robbing the corpse by the rightful heir, Prokofy, and is publicly humiliated. The last line is, "Virtue - oops, I mean, Vice - vice is punished, and Virtue-where is Virtue, anyway?"